Apparatus for feeding material to a gas generator

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to apparatus for feeding material to a gas generator. A cell feeder is provided for preventing backflow of gases through the feeding apparatus from the gas generator. The cell feeder includes a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and independently movable segments mounted in the housing for sequentially blocking and unblocking the openings. The segments are adapted to be driven in relation to each other whereby material received within the housing will be compressed prior to the opening of the outlet thereby preventing the backflow of gases.

United States Patent 1191 Andersson 1 1 May 20, 1975 1 APPARATUS FORFEEDING MATERIAL To 2.138.973 12/1938 Lege 202/100 2,245,265 6/1941 Eddy221/104 A GAS GENERATOR 2,422,895 6/1947 Habenicht..... 100/50 175]-Inventor: a l ri sta Anderssnn, 2,569,820 10/1951 Locke 99/281 Motala,Sweden 2,805,799 9/1957 Hilemanw 222/362 3,077,272 2/1963 Reinha11....214/17 [73] Ass1gnee: AB Motala Verkstad, Motala, 3,159,317 12/1964 Mini222/341 Sweden 3,201,009 8/1965 Smith..... 222/443 J 5 3.550.563 12/1970Smith 418/35 1 PP N04 367,097 Primary Examiner-S. Leon Bas'horeAssistant Examiner-Peter F. Kratz [30] Foreign Application Priority DataAttorney, Agent, or F1rm-W1gman & Cohen June 15, 1972 Sweden 7914/72ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 222/370; 48/86 R; 100/178; This disclosure relatesto apparatus for feeding mate- 221 2 5; 202 2 2; 214 17 413 35; 2 27rial to a gas generator. A cell feeder is provided for [51] IntfCl. G0lf11/10 Preventing backflow of gases thmugh the feeding P 58 Field ofSearch 222/370, 319, 181, 190, paraws from the gas generator The Cellfeeder 222 217; 100/244 177 17 214/17 CC 35 cludes a housing having aninlet opening and an outlet 43/86 R, 33 4 4 47; 201 5; 202 1 7 opening,and independently movable segments 2; 2 27; 221 2 5; 141 1 249; 41 35mounted in the housing for sequentially blocking and 36 37 unblockingthe openings. The segments are adapted to be driven in relation to eachother whereby material 5 References Cit d received within the housingwill be compressed prior UNITED STATES PATENTS to the opening of theoutlet thereby preventing the backflow of gases. 7,751 11/1850 Davls418/35 1,901,807 3/1933 Galusha 48/86 1 Claim, 5 Drawing FiguresPATENTED 14112011115 884, 397

' SHEET 2 BF 2 I'M I 74 75 Fig.5 l I APPARATUS FOR FEEDING MATERIAL TO AGAS GENERATOR The present invention relates to a method and apparatusfor charging material to a gas generator by means of a rotary vanefeeder or cell feeder to prevent the emission of gas from the rotarycell feeder during the charging step. a

It is known to feed material to gas generators by means of cell feederssuch as rotary vane feeders. Such feeders are provided with a rotatingcircular plate having a number of cell-like compartments and are placedabove the gas generators. The material is fed to the gas generators byintroducing the material to the cell-like compartments of the feederfrom above, through an inlet opening and by causing said material to bedischarged from the compartments as they pass an outlet opening.

With gas generators which operate at a relatively high overpressure theempty cell-like compartments are filled with gas which, subsequent torotation of the cell to the infeed opening, is passed to said openingand out thereof simultaneously as the material is charged to the cell.The outflowing, non-combusted gas in addition to representing a gas losscan also cause explosions and is poisonous.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventingthe emission of gas when feeding material to a gas generator by means ofa cell feeder or rotary vane feeder.

The invention will now be described with reference to two embodimentsthereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where FIG. 1 is avertical sectional view through a segment type cell feeder,

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through a segment type cell feeder,

FIG. 3 illustrates the different steps of feeding material to a gasgenerator by means of a segment type cell feeder,

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through a piston type cell feederand FIG. 5 illustrates the different steps when feeding material to agas generator by means of a piston type cell feeder.

The cell feeder is constructed according to two different principles,one feeder being constructed as a segment type feeder and the other as apiston type feeder.

The segment type cell feeder illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 comprises acylindrical housing 1 which is provided with an infeed opening 2 and anoutfeed opening 3 and two segments 4 and 5. One segment 4 is attached toa shaft 6 and is driven by a drive arm 7. The other segment, 5, ismovably mounted on the shaft 6 and is driven by a drive arm 8. Each ofthe drive arm 7 and 8 is actuated by its respective drive means (notshown) of a type known per se.

The mode of operation is as follows:

The material is introduced to the cell feeder through the infeed opening2 in a first step, in which the connection between the infeed openingland the outfeed opening 3 is closed by the segment 5. At step II, thesegment 4 is turned towards the outfeed opening 3 and the material ispressed against segment 5 which is yieldingly braked and rotatessomewhat out of phase with the segment 4. In this way the material iscompressed thereby preventing gas from flowing from the outfeed opening3 to the infeed opening 2. At step III the segment 4 closes theconnection between the infeed opening 2 and the outfeed opening 3. Atstep IV the segment 5 is rotated to fully expose the outfeed opening 3and the material is charged to the gas generator. At step V the segment5 is rotated and at step VI the segment 4 is turned to the startingposition at step I in a manner to prevent gas flow from the outfeedopening 3 to the infeed opening 2.

The piston type cell feeder illustrated in FIG. 4 and 5 comprises acylindrical housing 9 provided with an infeed opening 10 and an outfeedopening 11. Arranged in the housing are two pistons 12 and 13, each ofwhich is activated by its respective push pull means 14 and 15 of a typeknown per se.

The mode of operation is as follows:

The material is introduced to the cell feeder through the infeed opening10, between the two pistons 12 and 13 at step I, at which the connectionbetween the infeed opening 10 and the outfeed opening 11 is closed bythe piston 13. At step II, the piston 12 urges the material against thepiston 13, which is yieldingly braked and at step II has also pressedthe material in over the outlet opening and simultaneously closed theconnection between the infeed opening 10 and the outfeed opening 1 1. Atstep III the piston 13 is moved to expose the outfeed opening 11 and thematerial is passed to the gas generator. At step IV, the piston 13 ismoved and at step V the piston 12 is moved to the starting position atstep I.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for feeding material to a gas generator comprising a cellfeeder for preventing passage of gas through said apparatus, said cellfeeder including a cylindrical housing having upper and lower end walls,an inlet opening formed in said upper end wall and an outlet openingformed in said lower end wall, means for compressing material receivedwithin said housing including two segment means independently movable insaid housing and adapted to close said openings, each of said segmentmeans being shaped in the form of a cylinder sector and rotatablymounted about a common shaft, and means for driving each of said segmentmeans whereby material received within said housing will be compressedprior to unblocking of said outlet opening thereby preventing thebackflow of gas therethrough from the gas generator.

1. Apparatus for feeding material to a gas generator comprising a cellfeeder for preventing passage of gas through said apparatus, said cellfeeder including a cylindrical housing having upper and lower end walls,an inlet opening formed in said upper end wall and an outlet openingformed in said lower end wall, means for compressing material receivedwithin said housing including two segment means independently movable insaid housing and adapted to close said openings, each of said segmentmeans being shaped in the form of a cylinder sector and rotatablymounted about a common shaft, and means for driving each of said segmentmeans whereby material received within said housing will be compressedprior to unblocking of said outlet opening thereby preventing thebackflow of gas therethrough from the gas generator.